RwandAir flight fiasco as Congo ban sparks shocking reroute

DR Congo has stopped letting planes from Rwanda fly through its skies. This means RwandAir planes must take longer routes to reach places like London.

One RwandAir flight from Kigali to London had a big problem. The pilot told everyone they couldn't fly over DR Congo anymore. The plane didn't have enough fuel to take the longer way around, forcing them to land in Uganda at Entebbe airport. The passengers waited there for five hours before they could continue their journey. They arrived at London's Heathrow Airport eight and a half hours late. The flight crew worked very hard to help make things better for everyone.

Flying around DR Congo adds two extra hours to flights between Rwanda and London. This causes problems for many airlines, such as Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. These companies often fly through DR Congo's airspace because it gives them the shortest path to Europe and West Africa.

RwandAir told its customers they changed their flight paths because they can't use DR Congo's airspace anymore. They promised to find safe ways to fly and asked people to check their website for news about their flights.

DR Congo made this decision because they think Rwanda is helping a group called M23 rebels. They believe Rwanda has taken over part of their land in North Kivu. Rwanda says this isn't true, and they only want to protect their borders.

Airplane experts say it can be dangerous when countries suddenly close their airspace. They want countries to talk to each other first before making big changes like this. The new routes make planes use more fuel and cost more money to run. This might make tickets more expensive for people who want to fly.

Airlines want everyone who plans to travel to keep checking if their flight times have changed because of these new routes.
 

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